The American Revolution

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• The American Revolution

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• Actions by First Continental Congress caused many
  in Parliament to call for showdown with
  rebellious colonies
• Over 4,000 British regulars already encamped in
  Boston
• British believed resistance to the crown
  concentrated in New England
• Based on experience of French and Indian War,
  British did not believe colonial militias would
  fight outside their local areas

British regulars
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• Minority of British ministers were against action
  as it might disrupt trade others believed any
  conflict would be more difficult than believed
  (Edmund Burke)
• London ordered action in January 1775 but word
  did not reach General Gage in Boston until April
• Britain declared Massachusetts to be in a state
  of rebellion colonial militias organized into
  minute men

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• Gage intent on seizing stockpiled arms at Concord
  20 miles west of Boston
• Messengers warned countryside and patriot leaders
  who were to be arrested
• The truth about Paul Revere

Paul Reveres Midnight Ride
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• British troops entered Lexington April 19th - met
  by 70 Minute Men
• Militia withdrawing when shots rang out 8
  Minute Men dead
• British continued to Concord and destroyed
  supplies

Shots fired between militia and British regulars
at Lexington
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• British forced back at Concord Bridge by rapidly
  increasing numbers of colonials
• Retreating British attacked length of march
  reinforced by 1500 additional regulars
• British reached Boston with 273 casualties
  Americans fewer than 100 (reality?)

British troops crossing Concord Bridge
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• Colonial response shocked British
• Colonials also seized Fort Ticonderoga and Crown
  Point
• Actions brought reinforcements from other
  colonies including Virginia

Fort Ticonderoga Lake Champlain, New York
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• May 10, 1775, Second Continental Congress met in
  Philadelphia
• More radical than the first
• George Washington attended wearing his uniform
• Congress organized the various militias
  surrounding Boston into the Continental Army and
  appointed Washington its commander

George Washington
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• Boston impregnable to assault but vulnerable to
  artillery on heights outside city
• Continentals built fortifications on Breeds Hill
  (thought it was Bunker Hill)
• British assaulted the position several times and
  finally took the position but suffered severe
  casualties

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Colonial militia preparing to fire on British
troops advancing up Breeds Hill (Bunker Hill)
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British suffer immense casualties as they make
three successive attacks on Breeds Hill (Bunker
Hill)
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Out of ammunition, American colonials are
overwhelmed by the British. Most of the American
casualties occur at this time.
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• The colonists lost some 400 versus over 1,000
  British
• The Olive Branch Petition - battle caused the
  Continental Congress to issue one last plea to
  the king to end hostilities (in reality a sop to
  moderates)
• General Gage was replaced by veteran General
  William Howe and the king declared the colonies
  in open rebellion

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• Congress condemned the crown with its adoption of
  the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of
  Taking Up Arms
• Congress authorized an attack on Canada, and
  created committees to seek foreign aid and arms
• It also authorized the establishment of a navy
  and privateers

Privateer
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• Declaring actual independence was still being
  debated
• Hard to accept the casting off of ties to the
  mother country
• Some patriots (mostly upper class) feared the
  disorganized mob violence that had accompanied
  protests against British acts
• Why?

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• Idea of democracy scary new concept
• Two events in 1776 pushed the colonies to make
  the final step to independence
• The British hiring of Hessian mercenaries
• The publication of Common Sense
• Written by Thomas Paine
• Pamphlet attacked not only king but monarchy
  itself
• Read by virtually everyone in every colony

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• In spring of 1776 Congress authorized privateers,
  opening of American ports to foreign commerce,
  and urged colonies to set up state governments
  with constitutions
• A committee was selected to write a justification
  for independence included Franklin, John
  Adams, and Thomas Jefferson

Franklin, Adams, and Jefferson
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• The Declaration of Independence was primarily
  written by Jefferson with some editing by
  Franklin, Adams, and the Congress
• It was officially adopted July 4th, 1776, two
  days after a vote for independence was made
• The first part espoused the theory that gave the
  colonists the right to rebel (Locke)
• The second part was a list of the kings
  injuries and usurpations

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• The Declaration was written in part for foreign
  consumption its main impact was to anger Great
  Britain
• Many foreign men offered their services to the
  new country
• Revolution was not new but the orderly and
  thoughtful manner in which the colonies were
  pursuing the break was without precedent

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
all men are created equal, that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness
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• American advantages
• There was some reluctance in Britain to war with
  the colonies
• The British army though large was inefficient and
  ill-directed
• Britain hesitant to commit large numbers of
  troops with so many enemies in Europe
• Distance from Europe
• Early American victories Montreal, near-capture
  of Quebec

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• American disadvantages
• Money and weapons were continually in short
  supply
• Colonists resisted military conformities and
  discipline
• The Continental Army had to be invented from the
  ground up
• Supply problems due to inefficiency and
  corruption
• Little knowledge of camp construction and
  sanitation

American militia made up mostly of common
farmers, laborers, and shopkeepers
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• British advantages
• Superior British resources including population
  (9 million versus 2.5 million)
• Huge industrial capacity
• Large stocks of war materiel
• Mastery of the seas
• Well-trained and experienced army
• Highly centralized (and often ruthless) government

British regulars
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• American colonies not united many Loyalists
  (Tories)
• Numbers probably 1/5th Loyalist, 2/5th Patriots,
  the rest neutral or fence-sitters
• Tories lacked organization
• Tories and Patriots both attacked on citizen
  level
• Battles between Patriots and Tories were the most
  vicious (civil war?)

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• Battle of Long Island Americans easily
  outflanked and defeated
• Howes indecision allowed Washington to retreat
  to Manhattan
• Howe could have used navy to bottle up
  Continental army on Manhattan but chose direct
  assault that allowed Washington to escape again

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Battle of Long Island
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• Washington eventually crossed into New Jersey
  followed closely by the British
• New York campaign showed weaknesses of
  Continental Army but also ability of Washington
  to learn from his mistakes
• Washington crossed into Pennsylvania while Howe
  set up garrisons across Delaware River

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• Many American troops nearing end of enlistment
  Washington decided on surprise attack on
  Christmas Day at Trenton garrisoned by hated
  Hessians
• Attack was complete success with capture of over
  900 enemy
• British attempt to corner Washington ended with
  his escape again and a successful attack on
  British at Princeton

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Battle of Trenton
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• Battles had little long-term strategic importance
• Both Americans and British went into winter
  quarters

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• When spring came Washington had fewer than 5,000
  troops
• British devised grand three-pronged strategy
• General Burgoyne would lead British force from
  Canada down Lake Champlain towards Albany
• LTC St. Ledger would move towards Albany from the
  west at Fort Oswego
• General Howe would lead a third force up the
  Hudson from NYC
• The goal was to cut the colonies in half and
  isolate New England

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Burgoyne
St. Ledger
Howe
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• Burgoyne captured Fort Ticonderoga on Lake
  Champlain but advance bogged down due to heavy
  artillery and wagons of personal baggage and
  champagne
• St. Ledger also slow - stopped to attack American
  Fort Stanwix where he was forced to turn back due
  to attacks by Benedict Arnold

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• Howe never set out on his part instead wasting
  time trying to trap Washington
• Instead of meeting Burgoyne, Howe attacked
  Philadelphia
• Moves by Howe allowed Washington to reinforce
  troops opposing Burgoyne
• Washington defeated at Brandywine in attempt to
  protect Philadelphia from British

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• Burgoyne failed in attacks on American
  entrenchments near Saratoga
• American militia flocked to area- swelled
  American numbers
• Burgoyne finally placed under siege and forced to
  surrender

Breaking through British defenses at Saratoga
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Battle of Saratoga
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• French anxious to avenge loss to British during
  Seven Years War
• Saratoga helped Americans persuade France to join
  in on their side
• France and Spain recognized the American
  government and supplied arms and money
• News of Saratoga made Parliament fear
  American-French alliance willing to lift all
  coercive acts and pledge not to tax

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• The British were too slow in making their
  proposal - Americans already signed treaty with
  France British proposal rejected
• War broke out between France and Britain
• After loss of Philadelphia Washington went into
  winter quarters at Valley Forge
• Army supply system collapsed

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• Troops suffered starvation and exposure
• Congress debated replacing Washington with Gates
  hero of Saratoga
• Hundreds of soldiers deserted and officers
  resigned
• The Continental Army survived and emerged smaller
  but tougher and better trained (Von Steuben)

Washington at prayer Valley Forge
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• 1778 Howe was replaced by General Clinton
• While moving from New Jersey back to New York,
  Clintons British army was attacked by
  Washingtons forces at Monmouth Court House
• The fight was a draw but the Americans claimed
  victory and held the field of battle

Molly Pitcher patriotic myth?
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• Hoping to capitalize on Tory support in the
  South, the British switched their focus to the
  Southern colonies
• They promised freedom to any slave who would join
  them
• Georgia was overrun and Charleston surrendered
  Americas greatest defeat in the war

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• British and Tory ruthlessness caused many
  fence-sitters to join the Patriot cause
• Many guerrilla bands emerged hit and run
  tactics against the British
• Gates was given command of American forces in the
  South and was defeated replaced by Nathaniel
  Greene
• War in the South turned into civil war as
  Patriots and Tories battled

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• Greene and Daniel Morgan achieved several
  victories against British forces
• British forces under Cornwallis withdrew into
  Virginia and concentrated at Yorktown

Battle of Guilford Court House
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American frontiersmen annihilate Tory force at
Kings Mountain
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Tarletons British and Tory forces smashed at
Cowpens by Americans under Daniel Morgan
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• The French navy defeated a smaller British naval
  squadron in the Chesapeake and bottled in
  Cornwallis at Yorktown
• The French army convinced Washington to march
  South and place Yorktown under siege
• Cornwallis was forced to surrender

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• Yorktown was only one of many defeats of the
  British they lost battles in the Caribbean,
  Asia, Africa, and the Mediterranean
• The British national debt had doubled
• The British agreed to recognize the new American
  government

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• America had agreed with France not to sign a
  separate peace
• France and Spain did not want to see a new
  America become too powerful
• The American agents, especially Franklin and John
  Jay, realized the French were not looking out for
  the Americans best interests and negotiated a
  separate peace with Britain

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• The terms of the treaty
• The boundaries of the nation was set at the Great
  Lakes, the Mississippi River, and the northern
  border of Florida which Britain gave back to
  Spain
• Americans were allowed access to the Grand Banks
  for fishing
• British troops were to be removed from American
  territory

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• The Americans agreed to prevent further
  confiscation of Tory property
• The Americans agreed not to impede the collection
  of debts owed to British subjects
• The Americans were able to secure good terms by
  playing the great powers against each other

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• November 1777 the Articles of Confederation was
  submitted to the states for ratification
• All ratified except Maryland issue of ownership
  of western lands
• All states had one vote
• The Articles proved to be a poor form of
  government the central government lacked the
  authority to impose taxes or to enforce the
  powers it did have

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• States contributed to the war effort through
  militia and supplies
• Congress also raised funds by borrowing
  Americans bought 7-8 million in bonds
• Foreign governments lent 8 million
• Congress issued over 240 million in paper money
  the states over 200 million themselves

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• The currency fell in value creating high
  inflation
• Robert Morris, a Philadelphia merchant, was
  appointed superintendent of finance
• He set up an efficient supply system for the army
• Persuaded Congress to charter a national bank
• Got the country back on a hard money basis
• Got more foreign loans based on his efficiency
  and success

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• Most all the states wrote state constitutions
• Most had an executive (governor), legislature,
  and a judiciary
• Power was concentrated in the legislature
• Most constitutions contained bills of rights
  protecting people against government

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• Many states took the opportunity of new
  constitutions to make reforms
• Gave western regions more representation
• Abolished primogeniture, entail, and quitrent
• Separation of Church and State
• Northern states abolished slavery
• Most prohibited the importation of slaves from
  abroad

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• Except for Georgia and South Carolina, the
  Southern states allowed individual owners to free
  their slaves (over 10,000 were freed)
• Very little social or economic upheaval present
  unlike later revolutions

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• Women achieved more rights such as easier access
  to divorce but gains were small
• Women did gain more influence as they took on
  roles reserved for men due to war
• Education became more available for females after
  the Revolution and female literacy increased

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• Most revolutions caused by nationalism resulting
  in independence but it was the opposite in
  America
• The colonies unified not because they believed in
  union but to beat the British they became
  unified after the war because of the growth of
  nationalism

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• Nationalism arose due to shared sacrifice,
  fighting together in mixed units, and shared
  experiences
• The war caused many to move from one colony to
  another - broadening their horizons
• Common problems requiring practical solutions
  brought states together

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• The Great Land Ordinances
• Western territories now owned by the American
  government- not states
• Land Ordinance of 1785
• Territories to be surveyed into 6 square-mile
  townships
• Every other township further divided into 36
  sections of 640 acres each
• Land to be sold at a minimum of 1 per acre

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• Northwest ordinance of 1787
• Established governments for the west
• Territories carved out of western lands
• Territories ruled by a governor until adult male
  population reached 5,000
• Upon 5,000 territorial legislatures were elected
  that could send delegates to Congress
• When 60,000 people had settled the territory
  could become a state
• Government had to be a republic and slavery was
  prohibited

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• The Land Ordinances allowed for a systematic and
  orderly way for new states to be formed and
  admitted into the union
• These ordinances were used as the country moved
  west

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• Religion
• Anglican Church broke from England to become
  Episcopal Church
• Catholics came under authority of first American
  Catholic bishop
• Education
• Noah Websters Reader and Spelling Book promoted
  American English
• The Arts
• Paintings of American life, events, and people
• Books extolling American countryside and virtues